Coronavirus: Rajasthan govt directs officials to take measures in places visited by Italian tourists

After a spurt of positive cases of coronavirus, the Rajasthan government on Wednesday issued directions to the collectors and chief medical health officers of Jhunjhunu, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaipur districts to take public health measures in the places visited by the group of Italian tourists.

The group, that include the couple that has tested positive for the virus, travelled in these districts from February 21 to 28 and the officials have been asked to disinfect the rooms and the bus in which the group travelled from the time they arrived at IGI airport in New Delhi to the hotels they had stayed in across the state. The bus driver and cleaner will be home quarantined for 14 days.

“The officials have been asked to get detailed addresses of all who have stayed in these rooms and to do follow-up for health status and advice them for home quarantine for a total of 14 days,” Additional Chief Secretary, Medical and Health, Rohit Kumar Singh said.

Tourist guides, helpers and hotel staff who had served or came in close contact with the group in any manner will also be home quarantined, he said. Rooms will be disinfected with a solution of 1 per cent sodium hypochlorite while total mopping of all areas, handles, chairs, tables, etc. will also be done, the senior official said. Also, the officers were asked to enhance surveillance in all the tourist spots/places visited by them including restaurants and to run awareness campaigns for coronavirus apart from setting up control rooms.

CMHOs have been asked to set up outpatient departments (OPD) in all districts of the state for persons who will be immediately rushing for check-up. Apart from this, Singh said that the public will be educated on the usage of masks and availability of logistics at all levels will be ensured. The district-level officers will submit a compliance report by Wednesday evening, he pointed out.

The Italian couple tested positive for the virus has been kept in isolation at Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Hospital in the city. Pune-based National Institute of Virology has confirmed the coronavirus infection in the man while a report for his wife, who has been found positive in testing by SMS Medical College, is awaited later in the day. Officials have also been asked to conduct a survey of people living in the 3 km radius of the SMS Hospital.